I don't think anyone has reviewed this yet but I keep reading requests for it so if it has, my apologies!
DIFFICULTY:
2/5. It is pretty much self-working but to get the best out of it, it requires some decent audience management and minor sleights.
PRICE:
Depending on what package you go for. Around £49.99
EFFECT:
Here's the key effect: A spectator shuffles the deck and nominates any of the cards as her favorite card. This card is removed, examined and placed face up onto the top of the shuffled deck. The spectator HOLDS THE DECK IN HER OUTSTRETCHED HAND. On the performer's command, the selected card slowly breaks free from the vice-like grip of gravity-rises into the air-floats for as long as the performer wants, and then slowly descends. So freaked-out is the spectator that she breaks with protocol and reaches for the selected card-turning it over-looking for some secret. NOTHING IS FOUND! It simply looks amazing. Spooky. Hauntingly beautiful.
PROS:
Easy to perfom
Can be done in spectators hands (?)
Looks very magical
Very sneaky
CONS:
Needs a PK magnet to activate which can be tricky
Angles could be an issue for some people
Very difficult to do in a spectator's hands.
WHAT I SAY:
When reading this please take into consideration that Ben has been very open with this effect on all the forums, blogs and websites so I don't think I am spoiling anything.
I personally love this effect, although I have only performed it for a few friends. The gimmick can be set up quickly for the those that are impatient or with some careful handy work it can be installed into an 'organic block'. Failing that you can buy a custom deck off Ben himself or install it anywhere else you can think of!
It does look very magical and you can make the card hover and fall at will and then the spec can remove the card, it takes a little getting use to but what doesn't!
My biggest problem with it is the way you have to activate it, I have the mother of all PK magnets which works a treat but hiding it on my body can be a problem and I don't want to walk around all night with a huge weight tied to my leg etc! After experimenting I have found that the best magnet for the job is indeed the Paradigm Shifter due to its size and power, although you do need to get pretty close to activate it this way!
You can finger palm the magnet easily and with a 'waggling finger' gesture disguise the fact you have a magnet, but, my brother did say straight away, "So what you got in you hand then?".
I do find it hard to bring the magnet in and out of play as I can't have it in my hand at the start of the effect due to needing my hands to shuffle etc and also if the block gets to close to the magnet it does obviousley attract!
This is also why I can't do the effect in a specs hand - when I perform it in my hand it works fine as I can hold on to the block myself and the gimmick does its job. However, if I lay the block on my flat hand, when I try to activate it, the gimmicked section moves out like a haunted deck effect. To do this in a specs hand would require them to hold the block so that it doesn't move but at the same time the top part of the deck must be loose! You can see my problem of how hard that would be to manage in a subtle way.
The best way I have found to bring the magnet in and out of play is to have a safety pin attached to the inside the back of my T-shirt so the magnet can be brought in and out of easily and sneakily but again this is far from ideal. If anyone else has this effect or any ideas on how I can do this better then please help.
OVERALL:
Regardless of what I have said, I truley love this effect. I know what is happening and it looks amazing to me. It is very well designed and can be applied to other things such as floating bill from a wallet (this is included in the instructions too!) You could also apply it to do a spooky floating photo effect!
Because of the nature of the effect there are a few kinks to iron out but I am getting there and the more people that play with it the better this will become. Like Ben says, this is just the start for Enlightenment.
I highly recommend this effect and would advise perfroming this as a one-off effect for a big impact. Out of 10, I'd give it a 9 after you're up and running.
If I have said too much just give me a holla and I can edit or if you have any questions feel free to ask. Hope this review helps and please give it the time it deserves!
Thanks for reading!
9/10
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